Samsung launches Android controller that connects to your TV

This year saw Apple introduce gamepad support for iOS devices. Now Android is about to get its own take on the mobile game controller, as Samsung today revealed its own controller hardware. The Samsung Smartphone GamePad comes with a d-pad, two analog sticks, four action buttons, two trigger buttons, select and start buttons, and a "PLAY" button for launching directly into games on an optimized mobile device. But Samsung isn't looking to simply echo Apple's efforts with its Smartphone GamePad, as the device also allows users to connect the gamepad to a TV via HDMI or wirelessly, and play Android games on the big-screen. Essentially, Samsung has made a play for the microconsole space with little build-up or fanfare to speak of -- albeit with the need for an expensive mobile device to go with it. The GamePad connects to movile devices via Bluetooth, and is optimized for all recent Samsung Galaxy devices, including the Galaxy Note 3, the Note II, the S III and the S4. A newly launched application called the Mobile Console app is an integrated game-launching app that opens in conjunction with the GamePad, allowing users to more easily browse games that are gamepad-supported. The GamePad is now available in Europe, with additional regions coming soon, says the company.